Sustainable Food Systems in the 21st Century- Considering Natural Capital Embodied in Israeli Meat Consumption

The prevailing global livestock industry relies heavily on natural capital (i.e. land, water and energy) and is responsible for high emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). In recent years, nations have begun to take more of an active role in measuring their resource inputs and GHG outputs for various agricultural products. However, most nations record data for production, focusing on processes within their boundaries. Some recent studies have suggested the need to also consider a consumption approach. It follows that in a globalizing interconnected world, to be able to generate a sustainable food policy, a full systems approach should be embraced. The case of Israeli meat consumption is especially unique as the country does not have sufficient resources to produce enough food to support its population. Therefore, Israel relies on importing bio-capacity to meet demand, displacing the environmental impact of the system to at least a dozen other countries. This research embraces a multi-regional consumption perspective using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, aiming to measure and compare the carbon and land footprints demanded by Israeli cattle and chicken meat consumption following both domestic production and imports of inputs and products. The results of this research show that the “virtual land” required for producing meat for consumption in Israel is almost 20% greater than the total domestic available agricultural land area. Moreover, while almost 80% of meat consumption is provided by locally produced chicken products, the natural capital impact of this source is inconsequential compared to the cattle beef supply chain; beef imports comprise only 13% of meat consumption in Israel but are responsible for 56% of the carbon footprint and 55% of the land footprint. As the sources for Israel’s meat supply contribute a profound percentage of the system’s natural capital use and are currently excluded from evaluations of the environmental impact of Israeli processes, these impacts must be considered to understand the global impact of Israel’s consumption habits and promote interregional sustainability.